You can always bitch about the weather no matter what! I know record heat makes it tough but just remember all the rain we had some years and we couldn't go out.

I hope you guys all have tried Tim's Rivershore Restaurant. I always went to Robertson's but Tim is doing a great thing giving us a place to go for crabs that's close. Last weekend we had medium and large hardshells and both were full and delicious. I also had the crab balls (makes you wonder how big those crabs are :)

Of course, everybody had a blast at the "weekend before July 4th" fireworks held by Tim's and sponsored by every local marine business. We could see them clearly at Freestone Point so remember for next year you don't have to get right in the middle. There must have been a thousand boats anchored out there.

The pile driver showed up finally so A pier is really shaping up. We've installed 9 or 10 slips on the down river side and are getting the electric runs done over the next 3 weeks or so. Don't forget, if you're on A pier you can get Cable because the line is already run out to the end of the pier.

David Mattingly will leave officially on August 1st. We will be sending him off by closing the yard July 31st and treating him to lunch at Tim's. Dave, what can I say, we'll ALL miss you a lot. We wish you riches and happiness, and many thanks for all the good and hard work you've done.

The Chris Craft meeting was held in Florida at the Sarasota Hyatt. The meeting was well-attended and the new management team was met with enthusiastic support. This group, led by acting General Manager Kim Bors (who is also VP of Human Resources for the parent company OMC) has been in place now 3 or 4 months and the company has never run better.

I finally got to see the 26 Sportdeck up close - it's a huge, roomy, and fun open boat. We ran her with a 280 HP Volvo SX and she did 47 MPH!

There was slight retooling to the 240 EC (now called the 248), which is getting a back to back convertible helm seat and a longer vee berth.

The 30 (now called 308) was changed to make it look more like the rest of the line. This meant doing away with the side decks and some of the traditional look (which I and several of you lean towards) but opened up the cockpit a great deal. The hull is unchanged, and I think it's a great one. Look for our first one in August hopefully. This boat will be hot hot hot!

And they still won't let me show or take pictures. A whole new line of Chris Crafts are coming. When it all washes out I don't know if this new line supplants the present one or complements it-and frankly, the plans look so good I don't care which way it goes.

It looks like we'll have 3 new boats for the 2001 model year including a 39 foot mid cabin express cruiser designated the 39 Roamer. Rather than talk about specifics (and allow the competition a head start) let me speak in terms of the things you and I know to be true about Chris Crafts of the 60 's nd 70 's-even the 30 's -and what they share with this new boat:

• Wide Side Decks
• Full-featured appliances
• Picture Windows in the cabin
• Inboard power
• Custom hardware that lets you know it's a Chris Craft
• A Bluewater Hull with lots of waterline beam
• Privacy
• A look and profile that lets you know easily that it's a Chris Craft

This is not an easy boat to learn to build and the design team has been told the prototype must be close to perfect. The boat is in development in New England. We saw photos of the hull plug being made and full size plywood mock ups of the cabin. The chief project engineer is 6 '4" tall so nothing on this boat will be undersized. We know the layout of the cabin but not the cockpit yet.

Bottom line: The prototype hits the water March/ April with availability hopefully for summer. I fully expect to be able next spring to give you a complete rundown on this and 2 new sportboat models that will be patterned after the more traditional twin cockpit Chris Craft excursion sportboat. Folks, it's not a dream anymore, it's a countdown, and it's going to be really really big. We're talking 12 boats up to 55 ' and millions of dollars spent. But when it's done there will be no more talk about Chris Craft's rightful place.

In the meantime I'm really happy to report the plant is full, the employees are pumped up, and the 2000's look great.

• Newsletter #6 : Memorial Day happens-and then you get sunburned
• Newsletter #5 : Mother Nature, you tease
• Newsletter #4 : When is this weather going to Break?
• Newsletter #3 : Yipee! The boat show is over!
• Newsletter #2 : My thoughts about Chris Craft/Carlton's a great guy
• Newsletter #1 : No we're not selling the place or dumping Chris Craft
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